Nearly two dozen Santa Rosa Junior College students and faculty held a silent protest against the college’s dance program coordinator Wednesday afternoon at Analy Village.
According to the protesters, coordinator Casandra Hillman has a history of emotionally and verbally abusing students, as well as engaging in other inappropriate behaviors.
The protest took place during Dance Performance and Touring Company auditions. Protesters lined up and displayed signs outside Analy Village’s Room 640, where auditions ran from 1-5 p.m.
The protesters remained silent as Hillman entered the building before auditions. They held signs that read, “Protect me SRJC,” “I stand with students,” “Retaliation is not cute” and “HR… do your job!”
According to protesters, Hillman, an SRJC dance program faculty member since 2016, was placed on administrative leave in November 2024 after a student, Jordan Tauzer-Pardo, filed a discriminatory disability grievance. She returned this fall to teach 11 sections of dance.
Board of Trustees faculty personnel action records from November 2024 and August 2025 show an unnamed faculty member listed under a number. All other faculty members listed on paid or unpaid administrative leave during this time period were named.
The dates are consistent with when protesters said she was on leave, but neither Hillman nor SRJC officials confirmed the dates of her absence.
In an interview with The Oak Leaf, Tauzer-Pardo accused Hillman of failing her in the Dance Performance and Touring Company class after Tauzer-Pardo missed a performance because she had to have emergency spinal surgery. Tauzer-Pardo added that Hillman barred her from taking classes the following semester due to her temporary disability as a result of her surgery.
Tauzer-Pardo said that after she filed the discriminatory disability grievance, Hillman allegedly retaliated by barring her from performances and from attending an American College Dance Association (ACDA) conference.
“She kept me from going to the ACDA, which is huge for scholarships and transferring,” Tauzer-Pardo said.
Tauzer-Pardo, along with the other protesters, said Hillman routinely berates and insults them well beyond an acceptable level.
“She just makes everything so personal. It’s not constructive criticism — it’s just trying to make you upset,” said a student, who requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation. “Since we’ve been dancers for years, we’ve had plenty of constructive criticism. What she does is much worse. It’s almost harassment. It’s very vulgar and mean.”
An SRJC dance instructor who requested anonymity said Hillman’s treatment of students extends to faculty members as well.
“[Hillman] has disparaged me in front of the students, in front of other people,” they said. “She’s attacked me countless times in her email, and she’s created a hostile work environment. She’s tried to hurt my reputation and my character. It’s been extremely difficult to do my job with her.”
Jolene Johnson, another instructor, reaffirmed Hillman’s treatment of her colleagues.
“The two dance shows that I’ve had an opportunity to be a part of, [Hillman] would yell at our tech crews so badly that the tech crews leave because they’re in such an unsafe environment,” she said.
Multiple students and faculty members alleged that once in a while, Hillman was intoxicated during classes and at ACDA events. Tauzer-Pardo, instructor Johnson and others said she offered alcohol to students. College district regulations prohibit the possession or use of alcohol on campus.
Multiple students and faculty members also alleged that Hillman used racial slurs in the classroom.
Students and faculty expressed frustration that SRJC officials allowed Hillman to return to teaching after her administrative leave in spring 2025.
“I just feel really bad for the students,” said Debbe-Ann Medina, an SRJC dance instructor and former dance coordinator. “I feel really bad for anyone who’s wanted to participate in what was a really great dance program here. There’s no way that anybody wants to come here anymore.”
In an email correspondence with The Oak Leaf, Hillman denied the allegations.
“This investigation was concluded before the beginning of the [fall 2025] semester and all of the allegations recently given to you by the students are falsified and unfounded by the investigator,” she wrote.
Sarah Pew, SRJC’s director of marketing, communications and public affairs, responded on behalf of the District in an email to The Oak Leaf.
“SRJC is aware of the concerns that have been raised and takes them very seriously,” she wrote. “The safety and well-being of students is always our top priority. While we cannot comment on individual personnel matters, I can affirm that the District addresses all concerns—including those involving employees—through established procedures and in accordance with District policies, collective bargaining agreements, and state and federal law.”
Tauzer-Pardo said she believed the protest was a success and expressed frustration at the lack of response from SRJC administration. Tauzer-Pardo, her mother, father, grandmother and other students and family members all spoke to the Board of Trustees at the June board meeting.
“It is time to weed this thorn out of the system,” said Terry Tauzer, Jordan Tauzer-Pardo’s grandmother. “It’s time to make sure these unfair, illegal acts are not happening to other students. It is time to fire this teacher and make certain that SRJC is the great junior college my relatives meant it to be.”
Jordan Tauzer-Pardo, Terry Tauzer and Jordan’s mother, Jennell Tauzer-Pardo, are relatives of former SRJC Vice President of Academic Affairs Brook Tauzer and Clarence “Red” Tauzer, an SRJC football and basketball coach, trustee and namesake of Tauzer Gymnasium.
The family and other disgruntled students and faculty members plan to speak at the Sept. 9 Board of Trustees meeting.
Terry L Tauzer • Sep 7, 2025 at 4:53 pm
Good coverage. Good article. The public just needs to look up the dates to know how true this information is!